Change-speed mechanism.



R. MILNE. CHANGE SPEED MECHANISM. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1911.

1,029,549. Patented June 11,1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASHXN01'ON D C I R. MILNE. CHANGE SPEEDMECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1911.

Patented June 11, 1912.

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R. MILNE.

CHANGE SPEED MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED-TUNE 29, 1911.

1,029,549. Patented June 11, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANDGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON. u. C.

ROBERT MILNE, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

CHANGE-SPEED MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1912.

Applicationfiled June 29, 1911. Serial No. 636,040.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that I, ROBERT MILNE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rockford, in the county of WVinnebago and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Change-SpeedMechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a mechanism for changing and regulatingthe speed of a driven shaft, so as to give it any proportionate speeddesired in relation to that of a driving shaft which is driven at afixed rate of speed.

One of the principal objects of the present invention is to provide anarrangement of parts which is simply and easily controlled; another isto so arrange the parts that it is impossible to throw one set of gearsinto mesh for the purpose of chang ing the speed of the driven shaftwithout first throwing out of mesh the set of gears which at that timeare performing the driving operation.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a means for speedilydisengaging and engaging the gears with practically no resultant jar orclash as the result of the engaging and disengaging operation; to soarrange the parts comprising the mechanism, as to enable them to beoperated by a swinging lever, thus requiring only one movement to beimparted to the lever for the purpose of changing the speeds; to providea mechanism for accomplishing the instantaneous disengagement andengagement of the driving and driven gears, and to regulate the movementof the different movable parts, so as to bring the gears comprising aset of gears to a stop in a fixed relation to each other, after theyhave been disen: gaged; to shift the gears so as to bring them into mesh011 the periphery, thereby eliminating the wear and tear to the gearwhich occurs when the gears are shifted and brought into engagement witha sliding movement.

The invention furtherconsists in the features of construction andcombination of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, showing the mechanism of thepresent invention applied to one type of machine, namely, a drill press;Fig. 2, a plan view of the mechanism of the present invention; F ig. 3,a face view of the mechanism of the present invention; Fig. 4, a crosssection, showing a train of gearing in mesh; and Fig. 5, a view similarto Fig. 4, showing said train of gearing out of mesh.

The invention is shown as applied to a drill press, although it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited in any way to the exclusiveuse with a drill press mechanism. Obviously, the device may be employedwith any suitable form of mechanism where it is desirable to frequentlychange the speed of the driven member.

The mechanism, as shown, is housed within a casing 7 of suitable sizeand formation, and this, if desired, may be partially filled with oil soas to permit the movement of the gears to take place in a body of oil,thus'reducing the resultant and noise of operation, as is well-known inthis line of work. Extending through the interior of the casing is adriving shaft 8, having thereon a suitable pulley 9 and a driven shaft10 having thereon a suitable pulley 11. The driving shaft has mountedthereon a series of gears 12, 13, 14c, and 15, which, as shown, are ofvarying sizes. The driven shaft 10 has mounted thereon a series of gears16, 17, 18, and 19, which are also of varying sizes. The gears are soarranged as to lie in opposed relation to one another and in substantialalinement with one another, and they are also so arranged that the ratiobetween any selected set of opposed gears is different from that of thebalance.

In the construction shown in the draw ings, it will be seen that thegear 12 is of substantially smaller diameter than the gear 16, and thegear 12, being a driving gear, the gear 16 will naturally be rotated ata relatively slow rate of speed when a connection is made between thesetwo gears.

By observing the gears 15 and 19, it will be seen that the gear 15 is ofasubstantially larger diameter than the gear 19, and as the gear 15 isthe driving gear, it will naturally follow that when-a connection ismade between these two gears, the gear 19 will be driven at asubstantially high speed, and, of course, the gears 16 and 19 are bothconnected to the shaft 10, the driven shaft of the mechanism; hence,when a connection is made between the gears 12 and 16, said shaft willbe driven at a relatively slow speed, and when a connection is madebetween the gears 15 and 19, the shaft will be driven at a relativelyhigh speed. The gears 13 and 18 and the gears 1 1 and 18 are of a rat-i0so that when a connection is made between either of these sets, theywill give to the driven shaft the speed intermediate the low speed andhigh speed heretofore referred to.

Lying in the interior of the casings, is a fixed shaft 20, upon which ispivotally mounted a supporting member 21 for the intermediate orshiftable gears. These shiftable gears in the construction shown are inthe form of a series, there being one provided for each set of drivingand driven gears. The shiftable gears-are, perhaps, best shown in Figs.2, 1, and 5, and are designated by the reference numerals, 22, 23, 24,and 25. These shiftable gears are as shown all the same size, butbecause of the difierence in ratio between the driving and drivengears,there will be a corre sponding difference in ratio between each set ofdriving and driven and intermediate gears.

The support 21 is in the form of an armlike bracket member 26, which hassecured to its outer end a roller, or other suitable anti-frictiondevice 27, and is further provided with a lug 28 which lies in opposedrelation to a lug 29 on the interior of the casing 7. The supportingmember is further provided at its inner end with a fingerlike member 30,between which and the wall of the casing is interposed a tension member31, which tends to normally keep the parts in the position shown in Fig.5.

It is understood, of course, that although there are only four sets ofgears shown in the drawings, and although the description is directedtoward a construction embodying only four sets of gears, that the numberof sets of gears may be changed or varied to suit the conditions underwhich the mechanism is operated, or to suit the idea of the mechanicconstructing the machine.

For the purpose of throwing the intermediate gears into mesh with theopposed gears, I employ a shift-able member, which in the form shownconsists of a pivoted lever 32, to which, as shown, is attached a rod33, carrying a roller 84: which is adapted to register with any selectedone of a series of notches 35. The lever 33 is maintained in position tohold the roller within said notch by means of a suitable tensioncontrolled pressure member 36. The end of the lever is attached to a cammember 37, and the cam member is guided in its back and forth movementswithin the casing by means of a rod 38. The connection between the leverand the part which has been termed the cam member is in the form ofaslotted plate 39, best shown in Fig. 3, which permits a certain amountof lost movement between the lever and the member carrying the cam.This, of course, is necessary because of the fact that the lever isbeing operated with a swinging movement about a fixed center, while thecam member is traveling in a rectilinear movement on a fixed guide-rod.It is, however, understood that this connection between the lever andthe cam member may be of any construction, adapted to enable the partsto move with their relative movements.

The operation of the device is as follows: vlVhen it is desired to throwinto mesh any selected set of driving and driven gears, the lever isthrown until the cam surface engages the roller upon the end of thesupporting member carrying the intermediate gear of that particular setof driving and driven gears. The engagement of the cam surface with theroller will swing the mounting of the intermediate gear and bring thatgear into the position shown in Fig. 1, in which position it will be inmesh with both the driving and driven gears, and power will be conveyedto the driven shaft.

It will be noticed that in the present construction, it is impossible tothrow one set of gears into mesh, before the set of gears which haveformerly been in mesh are thrown out. This is due to the fact that asingle operating member is used for effecting the engagement ordisengagement of all of the sets of gears; and hence no two sets ofdriving and driven gears can be thrown in at the same time. It willfurther be noted that to change the speed of the driven shaft fromextreme high to extreme low, or viceversa, the intermediate gears of theintermediate sets of driving and driven gears will be brought into meshfor a very short space of time during such interchange. This eliminatesthe violent ar or olt which is usually imparted to the driven shaft,when an excessive'strain is produced thereon by a sudden change from ahigh to a low speed. Of course, the space of time in which theseintermediate gears are in mesh is very short,

and the space of time which is required to throw the device from high tolow speed is extremely short, but the efiect of this construction is, tograduate the increase or decrease of speed on the driven shaft when itis changed from one extreme of speed to the other, although, as stated,this graduation consists of a series of short periods of movements ofthe driven shaft on the speeds intermediate the high and low speeds. Thenotches 35 are so arranged that when the roller 34: is in a selected oneof them, the cam member will be in engagement with the roller 27 of aselected support for an intermediate gear. By the placing of indicatingsigns adjacent the different notches, the operator may move the lever toaccurately position the lever to throw into mesh any selected drivingand driven gears that he may desire, and thus obtain the desired rate ofspeed of the driven member.

It will be noted that the intermediate gears always remain in mesh withone of the gears of the sets of driving and driven gears. As shown inthe drawings, it is in mesh with the driving gear; since, however, allof the intermediate gears are idlers, this cannot eifect in any way themovement of the driven gears. By permitting the intermediate gears toremain in mesh with one 'of the gears of the sets of gears, iteliminates the throwing of the intermediate gears into mesh with both ofthe gears of the sets of gears. The cam surface forces the support ofthe intermediate gears upward to bring said gears into mesh with thedriving and driven gears, the spring 31 acting to return said support tonormal position after the cam surface has been brought out of engagementwith the roller, and the stop member to limit the disengaging movementof said intermediate gears to maintain them in a fixed normal relationto. the driving and driven gears.

I claim:

1. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a se ries of gears on each shaft, at least one of saidseries being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, a shiftable gear for each set of opposed gears,and means actuated with a sliding movement in a direction crosswise ofthe gearing and adapted to throw and maintain a selected shiftable gearin position to effect a connection between its set of opposed gears,substantially as described.

2. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each shaft, at least one of saidseries being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, a shiftable gear for each set of op posedgears, means actuated'with a sliding movement in a direction crosswiseof the gears and adapted to throw any selected shiftable gear intoposition to efiect a connection between its set of opposed gears, andmeans for automatically returning said shiftable gears to normalposition after said means have moved out of operative relation withrespect thereto, substantially as described.

3. In a change speed device, the combina tion of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each shaft, at least one of saidgears being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, a shiftable gear for each set of opposed gears,means actuated with a sliding movement in a direction crosswise of thegears for throwing any selected shiftable gear into position to make aconnection between its set of opposed gears, and a stop member toregulate the return movement of the shiftable gear, whereby it lies whenin normal position in mesh with one gear of the set of opposed gears,substantially as described.

4. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each shaft, at least one of saidseries being composed of stepped gears,

said gears lying in opposed relation to one another, an intermediategear for each set of opposed gears, a pivotally mounted sup port foreach of said intermediate gears, and means actuated with a slidingmovement in adirection crosswise of the gears for throwing any selectedintermediate gear into position to effect a connection between its setof opposed gears, substantially as de scribed.

5. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each shaft, at least one of saidgears being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, an intermediate gear for each set of opposedgears, a pivotally mounted support for each of said intermediate gears,means actuated with a sliding movement in a direction crosswise of thegears for throwing any selected intermediate gear into position toeffect a connection between its set of opposed gears, means forautomatically returning, said intermediate gear to normal position, anda stop member for limiting the return movement of said intermediategear, substantially as described.

6. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each of said shafts, at least one ofsaid series being composedpf stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, an intermediate gear for each set of opposedgears, a pivotally mounted support for each of said opposed gears,comprising an arm, and means actu ated with a sliding movement in adirection crosswise of the gears for engaging said arms to throw aselected intermediate gear into position to effect a connection betweenits set of opposed gears, substantially as described.

7. In a change speed device, the combination ofadriving shaft, adrivenshaft,aseries of gears on each of said shafts, at least one of saidseries being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, an intermediate gear for each set of opposedgears, a pivotally mounted support for each of said intermediate gears,com

prising an arm, and a shiftable member actuated in a direction crosswiseof the gears and having an acting surface adapted to engage said arms tothrow a selected intermediate gear into position to effect a connectionbetween its set of opposed gears, sub-- stantially as described.

8. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each of said shafts, at least one ofsaid series being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, an intermediate gear for each set of opposedgears, a pivotally mounted support for each of said intermediate gears,comprising an arm, a slidable member actuated in adirection crosswise ofthe gears and having a cam surface adapted to engage said arms and throwa selected intermediate gear into mesh with its set of opposed gears,substantially as described.

9. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears for each shaft, at least one of saidseries being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, a shiftable gear for each set of opposed gears,a slidable member actuated in a direction crosswise of the gears forthrowing a selected shiftable gear into position to effect a connectionbetween its set of opposed gears, and means for locking said shiftablemember in its thrown position, substantially as described.

10. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each of said shafts, at least one ofsaid series being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, an intermediate gear for each set of opposedgears, a pivotally mounted support for each of said intermediate gears,comprising an arm, a slidable member actuated in a direction crosswiseof the gears and provided with an acting surface adapted to engage saidarms to throw a selected intermediate gear into position to effect aconnection between its set of opposed gears, and means for looking saidshiftable member in its thrown position, substantially as described.

11. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each of said shafts, at least one ofsaid shafts being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying inopposedrelation to one another, an intermediate gear for each set of opposedgears, a pivotally mounted support for each of said intermediate gears,comprising an arm, a swinging lever, a member having a cam surfaceactuated by said lever with a sliding movement in a direction crosswiseof the gears, said cam engaging the ends of said mounting to throw aselected intermediate gear into position to effect a connection betweenits set of opposed gears, substantially as described.

12. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each of said shafts, at least one ofsaid gears being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, a movable intermediate gear for each set ofopposed gears, a swinging lever, a memberhaving a cam surface actuatedby said lever with a sliding movement in a direction crosswise of thegears, a member extending from each of said intermediate gears, andadapted to be engaged by said cam surface to throw a selectedintermediate gear into position to effect a connection betweenits set ofopposed gears, substantially as described.

13. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each of said shafts, at least one ofsaid gears being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, a movable intermediate gear for each set ofopposed gears, a swinging lever, a member having a cam surface actuatedby said lever with a sliding movement in a direction crosswise of thegears, a member extending from each of said intermediate gears, andadapted to be engaged by said cam surface to throw a selectedintermediate gear into position to effect a connection between its setof opposed gears, and means for locking said lever in position tomaintain a selected intermediate gear in mesh with its set of opposedgears, substantially as described.

14. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft, adriven shaft, a series of gears on each of said shafts, at least one ofsaid series being composed of stepped gears, said gears lying in opposedrelation to one another, a swinging intermediate gear for each set ofopposed gears, a member extending from each set of intermediate gears, apivoted lever, a member having a cam surface actuated by said lever witha sliding movement in a direction crosswise of the gears, and adapted toengage the members extending from said intermediate gear, a notched bar,and a member on said lever adapted to enter said notches and lock thelever in position, substantially as described.

15. In a change speed device, the combination of a driving shaft and adriven shaft lying in different planes from one another,

a series of gears on the driving shaft, a series of gears on the drivenshaft, said gears lying in opposed relation to one another, a series ofintermediate shiftable gears, one intermediate gear for each pair ofopposed gears, said opposed and intermediselected intermediate gear intoa position ate gears constltutlng sets of gears, the gears to effect anengagement With its set of 0p- 111 each set belng of a relatlve sue toproposed gears, substantially as described.

duce, when in mesh, a different speed of the ROBT. MILNE. driven shaft,and means actuated With a Witnesses:

sliding movement in a direction crosswise WM. P. BOND,

of the gears for shifting and holding any EPHRAIM BANNING.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

